Riders show horsemanship skills

SAN MARCOS — Riders showed their horsemanship skills last weekend — at stake were points — points that could send them on to the Pinto World Championships later this year.

Competing in categories based on age and skill levels, what makes the 6th annual Lou White Memorial Jubilee unique, according to Traci Holoubek, president of Southwest Pinto organization, is that the show is open to all breeds of horses — the only caveat — the horse must be a registered Pinto.

The Pinto horse, while it can be one of many breed types, must have certain markings and coloring to make it so.

There are breeds of horses such as Quarter horses, Paint horses, Arabian horses, and Thoroughbred horses, explained Holoubek.

“There’s all different breeds of horses,” she said, adding that Pinto is a color registry, basically.

Competitors watch as a rider finishes showing during the 6th annual Lou White Memorial Jubilee at Walnut Grove Park in San Marcos on Sunday. Photo by Tony Cagala

“If you had an Arabian horse and it had Pinto markings, then it can be a registered Pinto. It’s not actually just a breed registry, it’s a color registry.”

On Sunday, the Southwest Pinto organization, a Lakeside-based charter of the national Pinto Horse Association, held the Jubilee for the first time at Walnut Grove Park.

With riders ranging in ages from 5 years old and up showcasing their skills to three judges, Holoubeck said the Jubilee show is a way for the competitors to get a lot of points.

The riders attending these shows, she explained, are chasing points that can lead them to other competitions across the country, including the Pinto World Championship in Oklahoma June 12.

Thanks to a good experience at Walnut Grove, Holoubeck said the organization will be back Sept. 24 for their SWP Fall Fest show and competition.